John “JT” Tiernan is in his third season as the head coach of the Gilmour Academy varsity boys and girls swim program, as well as the Lancer Middle School swim program, with the 2021-22 school year.

In Tiernan’s second season, he led the Gilmour girls to a 12th-place finish at the OHSAA State Championship. Of the eight Lancers that qualified for the state meet, four were freshmen, showcasing a bright future for the squad. The GA girls also posted a perfect 8-0 record in dual meets during the 2020-21 season.

In his first season directing the Lancers, the girls team finished fifth in the OHSAA Division II State Championship, after finishing as the runners-up in the North Coast League (NCL). Tiernan helped the girls break the school record in the 200 medley relay as the group finished third at the state meet. He was subsequently named 2019 NCL Coach of the Year.

Tiernan is a nine-year member of the Ohio High School Swim Coaches Association (OHSSCA). Prior to Gilmour, he was the head coach of the girls team at Saint Joseph Academy from 2011-18.

The lifelong resident of Eastlake, Ohio, has been employed with the Gilmour Academy Natatorium for over 10 years and has been the youth swim coordinator for two years.